Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations is a free association of 53 mostly former British colonies. The Commonwealth, as it is commonly known, brings together countries on every continent and encompasses nearly 2 billion citizens. The Commonwealth does not have a constitution; instead it is governed by a set of core beliefs, espoused by declarations or statements made at meetings of the Commonwealth. These fundamental beliefs are encapsulated by the 1st major Commonwealth statement in 1971.[1]

The activities of the Commonwealth as a whole are coordinated by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the main intergovernmental authority of the Commonwealth and is tasked to facilitate communication between member states.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) allows these nations to discuss common issues and to improve bi-lateral relations between member states. Synonymous with the Commonwealth is the Commonwealth Games, an event held every 4 years and similar in nature to the Olympics.

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History

The Commonwealth was formerly known as the British Commonwealth and before that the British Empire. The evolution of its title has been indicative of the status of its members and the function of the organisation. From a colonial empire to a modern collective of free states, the Commonwealth has mirrored the major political changes of the 20th Century.